


If Only If Only

by iceepsy



Series: The Show Must Go On [2]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Before the Master’s ceremony, F/M, What-If, mostly fluff...mostly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:53:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24608023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iceepsy/pseuds/iceepsy
Summary: “It may have been next day jitters, or lack of sleep, yet he leans in.” - gulava
Relationships: Ava/Gula (Kingdom Hearts)
Series: The Show Must Go On [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1778947
Kudos: 11





	If Only If Only

**Author's Note:**

> Since I can’t handle large doses of angst, here’s a what-if AU: What if Gula were braver and Ava cared less about the rules. aka: let my poor children be happy together. It’s mostly fluff…mostly.
> 
> First posted on Tumblr in 2017

The base of the clock tower rings twice, shaking the shingles underneath them. It’s getting late; the Master wouldn’t appreciate it if the “stars of the show” overslept their own master ceremony. However, Gula can’t bring himself to leave where he’s sitting. His companion, Ava, is looking to the stars that are unchanging and twinkling from above. She’s still holding his hand even after his disastrous implied confession. Gula is surprised he’s still up this late into the night; he admits he’s the group’s largest napper with a consistent bedtime of 10:00. It’s most likely due to the constant tingle and energy he feels of his hand in hers.

“Ava,” Gula calls out, breaking the comfortable silence that settled in after his bold remarks. She’s still holding onto his hand. Gula is blushing red again as he faces her. Ava looks to him curiously. He may as well, as tonight is the last night before they are under age long rules, and works up his remaining courage to lean in closer to her.

* * *

He’s not sure what convinced himself to do this. Gula guesses it’s probably due to the haziness of sleep settling…despite the feeling that his hand on fire, that his chest is burning, and that his heartbeat rings in his ears. Truthfully, he can’t make any excuses, not in a situation like this. It’s really too late to withdraw now. He’s giving Ava the opportunity to run, because he really needs her to before he does something stupid. He wants her to say it’s not right, it’s against the rules; you know that better than anyone, Gula. Though does he really? He almost doesn’t want to know how much of his years long crush may actually be reciprocated. Instead, Gula feels the press of Ava’s lips against his own and he stops breathing.

* * *

Gula learns that kissing is not really much. He wouldn’t call himself a romantic, nevertheless he expected sparks like in the fairy tales in the Master’s books. True love’s kiss or what not. It’s just the press of flesh on flesh and Gula can’t find anything to like about that. What really made this count was sharing this moment with Ava. If given the opportunity, maybe he’d grow to like it, but that’s for another dream.

Still, Gula admits to Ava, eyes darting, “Th-thanks, I’ve always wanted to do that.”

Ava’s silent as she touches her lips with her other hand. When she locks eye contact with him, he wants to run in embarrassment yet something is keeping him rooted. Her hand is still holding onto his. Ava gives him a smile smile and Gula is once again amazed at how breathtaking she is, at how she lights up those around her. He can feel his lips perk. “I liked that, thank you as well, Gula.”

With that, Gula releases the breath he was holding; his head’s spinning, his senses numb. He shutters, shaking off the strangest of feelings and returns Ava’s smile.

* * *

And of course, the next question is if this should be a more common occurrence. Gula manages to ask the unspoken question, “so should we…?” Continue? The boy has been uncharacteristically caring lately, not to say that Gula isn’t brave. Still, Ava remembers that like her, Gula is growing up and the upcoming master ceremony proves just that.

Ava licks her upper lip; she has tasted freedom. Really, she should have said no in the beginning; it’s not what the Master has taught, but at the time, she could only think of the world’s she’s been to and how happy Belle, Cinderella, and the others were when they admitted. She wants to push back against the Master’s warning of the darkness in love leading to downfalls, even so, she can only see light. She wants all, to experience all; it’s what her heart is saying at this moment. The Master has held that phrase above all and she trusts Gula. Solitary, sarcastic, witty, charming Gula, who always manages to cheer her up, who always has something to say to her, who somehow manages to trust her above else, sans the Master, of course. He’s her best friend, her partner in crime because, really, who else would he be? If Ava doesn’t admit this as love, then what is?

Ava leans in again, her face alight like her magic, gently cupping her best friend’s face and kisses him again.

* * *

They’ve been doing this for years: sneaking off into some alley corner, taking their forbidden masks off. Nowadays, it’s Ava’s one small comfort, despite having to tiptoe around Invi. The one thing she hates is lying to her friends, however, Ava admits seeing Gula’s smile and the way his green eyes light up outweighs the falling feeling of deceiving Invi.

Ava purses her lips; Gula’s been jumpy after the Master disappeared. They all have with the sudden loss of guidance and the loss of Luxu. From the years she’s been with him, Ava knows Gula well enough to see it’s another matter in addition to the loss in their family. It makes her crestfallen that secrets are kept between them. Nevertheless, she trusts him and is willing to wait until he’s ready. Gula would spill everything if she asked however that’s not what a partnership should be. Her inner suspicion are the jobs the Master has given each of them and Ava guiltily admits she hasn’t told Gula what her duty was either.

Gula leans down and presses a kiss to her forehead. In their years of sneaking, Gula admitted he didn’t quite understand the press of lips, preferring to enjoy the touch of her hand in his. Though lately, he said that he started to look forward to them. Gula’s voice is nothing but a murmur reverberating against her, “ You know that I trust you with everything, right, Ava?”

Ava’s shocked; she’s known, of course, still, it means so much more to hear it from him. She holds back a tear and presses into him tighter. Gula just hums a reply, his voice catching. Ava feels a tear sliding down her face, but she cannot tell from who.

**Author's Note:**

> Didn't realize I never posted this on AO3. It's always been in the back of my head to fill the Gulava tag. Maybe one day...
> 
> The two are about 15-16 and then 18-19 when it aligns with khbc's plot


End file.
